Apple Studio Display 2 might have disappointing refresh rate

After the successor to Apple’s Studio Display (from $1,899 on Amazon) was already spotted in a certification a few weeks ago, the monitor could launch within the next few weeks or months. While earlier rumors claimed the Apple Studio Display 2 would have a dynamically adjusted refresh rate of 120Hz with Apple’s ProMotion technology, this upgrade may turn out to be much less substantial.

According to MacRumors, the refresh rate is expected to increase from 60Hz to just 90Hz. This information was supposedly found in an internal beta version of iOS 26. Since Apple’s ProMotion displays on the iPhone 17, iPad Pro, and MacBook Pro all offer 120Hz, 90Hz would be a rather odd number. Considering the typically very high price of the Apple Studio Display, that would be disappointing, especially since competitors like the Asus ROG Strix 5K can hit 180Hz even at full 5K resolution.

Nonetheless, the Apple Studio Display might still receive two other major upgrades, aside from the higher refresh rate. First, the monitor could support HDR content, which would likely be accompanied by a mini-LED backlight and therefore higher HDR peak brightness. Second, the screen could receive an upgrade from the Apple A13 to the Apple A19 SoC, the latter of which can be found in the iPhone 17. It is not yet known whether this additional performance will be used for new features beyond the usual webcam and speaker system.